DAI Invests in MobileODT, a Breakthrough Provider of Cervical Cancer Detection Technology

March 22, 2017

DAI today announced an investment in the mHealth service provider, MobileODT. In turn, MobileODT will take advantage of DAI’s worldwide footprint to expand the global penetration of its flagship EVA System, which combines advanced optical technology with smartphone capabilities to bring affordable cancer detection services to underserved communities around the world.

The EVA (Enhanced Visual Assessment) System has already been deployed in the United States and more than 20 countries, and in December 2016 was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a video colposcope.

“MobileODT is a perfect partner for DAI as we seek to advance our vision of tech-enabled, data-centric services for the global health marketplace,” said Chris LeGrand, President of DAI Global Health. “We are delighted to make this investment in a disruptive technology that promises so much benefit to women in the developing world and even in service-starved areas of the United States.”

How EVA works:

Founded in 2012, MobileODT is driven by a mission to deliver affordable, practical healthcare innovation and make a difference in the world. The company focuses on optical diagnostic devices and software services for early cancer detection and, in time, other purposes including forensic documentation, oral disease, dermatology, otology, and ophthalmology—all using the same core platform.

Initially, MobileODT’s EVA System is being deployed to tackle the leading cause of cancer death for women in low-resource settings: cervical cancer. According to the World Health Organization, 85 percent of women worldwide lack adequate access to cervical cancer screening, which means that out of the 527,000 women diagnosed with such cancer every year, 275,000 will die, despite the fact that cervical cancer takes 20 years to develop and can be treated for less than $28 and in less than 40 minutes, if caught in the first five years.

Additionally, in the United States—where rape is one of the most underreported crimes—the EVA System is used by Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) for forensic documentation after a sexual or domestic assault. The EVA System’s portability, HIPAA-compliant portal, and high-quality imaging allows SANEs to take images and collect patient information that is admissible in court. With the EVA System, SANEs can reach more victims of assault and document evidence efficiently and securely.

Expanding cervical cancer screening services is difficult because the traditional technology is cumbersome, expensive, and dependent on expert operators. It also requires a continuous electricity supply and is hard to maintain, especially in developing countries. By contrast, the EVA System is relatively cheap, small, easy to transport, and makes use of the ubiquitous smartphone and its supply chain. Readily connected to the cloud, it facilitates the collection of biomedical images and other data for diagnostic, analytical, and other purposes.

About MobileODT

MobileODT is driven by a mission: to enable front line health providers in resource-limited areas to deliver affordable and accessible visual-based assessment and triage of diseases with connected medical devices. MobileODT’s first product, the EVA System, functions on its own as an enhanced visual assessment screening or alongside any cervical cancer treatment. As a practical solution to the challenges of resource-limited healthcare—and to enable the extension of care into medium-resource settings—the EVA System was built to be affordable and practical for the nurse or general practitioner at the point-of-care and point-of-treatment, everywhere.

About DAI

Founded in 1970, DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Belgium. Named one of the world’s top 40 international development innovators, DAI works on the front lines of international development, tackling fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability.